From Graphic Design to Fundraising: a PR Student’s Impact on Tower Guard

Kayla Riley is putting her PR knowledge to work helping MSU’s Tower Guard promote accessibility and inclusion on campus

By: Ragan Spielmaker

Although Kayla Riley is only a junior, she is off to a great start in her PR career. She was elected as the PR chair for MSU’s Tower Guard organization and is using her knowledge to create a more inclusive environment for all Spartans. Riley says she wanted to work with MSU Tower Guard because she loved their mission. She explained that it is an organization that strives to make our campus more accessible for people with disabilities.

An example of graphic design advertising for a student board game night — Pictured is one of many graphics Riley has created for Tower Guard’s social media.

“Whether it’s helping walk someone to class, tutoring, e-texting, scribing or just participating in Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities events, all of it is rewarding work,” said Riley.

Tower Guard fundraises throughout the year to benefit MSU students with disabilities. The organization’s most prominent event is the Shamrock 5K. All money raised is donated to the MSU RCPD.

As public relations chair, Riley works to promote and maintain Tower Guard’s presence online, on campus and in the community.

“I manage their webpage and Tower Guard’s social media accounts, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn,” said Riley. “I am also responsible for creating all the graphics used by Tower Guard.”

Through this work, she has found certain PR skills necessary to do the job well.

A person stops for a picture in Barcelona, Spain — Kayla Riley is putting her PR knowledge to work helping MSU’s Tower Guard promote accessibility and inclusion on campus, even during her study abroad in Barcelona, Spain.

“My most valuable skills for my position at Tower Guard have been graphic creation and social media work. Most of our information is found on social media or our website, so I try to create engaging and eye-catching content that will draw people in,” said Riley.

Founded in 1934 to be a service-oriented organization that would help to meet the needs of visually impaired students, Tower Guard is expanding on that mission. Thanks to the help of students like Riley, efforts to make MSU a safer and more accessible environment are gaining visibility among larger audiences.

To learn more about MSU Tower Guard, get involved or request support, visit https://www.rcpd.msu.edu/programs/towerguard.